Relative and absolute risk, explained

Jan312017

Relative and absolute risk, explained

Submitted by Cybrarian on Tue, 01/31/2017 - 08:14

Stating risks in absolute rather than relative terms should be standard practice for science writers because it puts the numbers in clear perspective, Joy Victory writes: "Knowing only the relative data is like having a 50% off coupon for selected items at a department store. But you don’t know if the coupon applies to a diamond necklace or to a pack of chewing gum. Only by knowing what the coupon’s true value is — the absolute data — does the 50% have any meaning."